First music festival lands on Laneda

Regional and national performers have been hired to perform during the free two-day festival, according to AVBill Phillips, the event’s production manager with 27 years experience with the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland.

“I’m surprised with how many bands want to come and will play for next to nothing,” said Phillips. “I’ve called acts and they’ve reacted with ‘Yeah! Hell, yeah!’ Everyone wants to come to the beach. It’s a big selling point.”

Art by Ryan Pedersen

Following the conclusion of the 26th annual Manzanita Beach Walk & Run, the Manzanita Music Festival will run from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with two stages along Laneda Avenue.

The Winery stage on Third and Laneda, along with an upper stage across from the Hoffman center will feature live bands simultaneously, according to Phillips.

Beth Carter-Boyer, co-founder of the music festival, said, “I was sitting at Manzanita News and Espresso, having a cup of coffee last summer when I noticed a ton of people wandering around. It was almost perfect, it just needed something extra. And I thought a music festival would be great.

Courtesy photo by Anthony Pidgeon/anthonypidgeon.comKate and the Crocodiles are one of more than a dozen performers for the two-day festival.

“Live music brings communities together.”

For the inaugural festival, the theme is “The Healing Power of Music.”

“We want to support musical programs for youth as well as mental well-being with the Year of Wellness,” Carter-Boyer said. “A lot of times in life…music is there, when we have isolation.”

Festival flyer done by Ryan Pedersen. Pedersen is a Nehalem-based graphic designer who created an art nouveau theme per co-founder Beth Carter-Boyer’s request.

The village of Manzanita has it’s own unique vibe, Carter-Boyer said, and the organizers have worked to ensure the festival mirrors that style.

“We’re promoting Manzanita and how cool it is here,” Phillips said. “We want Manzanita to stay special and different and eclectic.”

Carter-Boyer added, “The caliber of performers is amazing…The festival is for emerging artists and established artists that are tucked away.”

Marcie Russo, Dawn Lind and Beth Carter-Boyer, festival producers.

A concern that the producers have been frequently approached with has been about high levels of noise during the event. Phillips said with new digital technology, controlling sound is much easier.

“Now we don’t have to be loud to sound good. One of the biggest successes is if we don’t get noise complaints.”

Carter-Boyer and Phillips both stress that the music festival will not only be fun, but family friendly as well. The lot on Fifth and Laneda, where the Farmers Market is located, will be an area for kids, as well as many food carts.

Courtesy photo. A performance of the band “Sextones,” one of the schedules performances during the festival. Co-founder Beth Carter-Boyer said even though there are two stages across Laneda Avenue, each act will perform two separate times.

Many parties have been responsible for planning and contributing to the development of the music festival, according to Carter-Boyer. Marcie Russo as a co-founder; Dawn Lind as a coordinator; Karen McCarty as the volunteer coordinator and media consultant; Rich Silverman, of Wheeler, joined the team of core planning committee members and will be a talent liaison; Gia Naranjo-Rivera, of NCRD, has organized the kid zone; Jeremy Mulcahy-Hill, of NCRD has partnered his Beach Walk & Run with the music festival; and both the San Dune and Manzanita Lighthouse have been instrumental sponsors.

Ryan Pedersen, local graphic design artist, donated his time to create the images that are featured on the t-shirts and posters for the music festival, according to Carter-Boyer, and implemented an Art Nouveau theme.

Poster art created by Ryan Pedersen. These posters will be for sale during the music festival, held on July 23 and 24.

Armed with a camera during the event will be Anthony Pidgeon.

“He’s a famous festival photographer,” said Carter-Boyer, “He’s taken photos of everyone from David Bowie to Willie Nelson.”

Once the lights go down and the festival comes to a close on Saturday night, Carter-Boyer said there will be an after party for the performers, crew and volunteers at the Manzanita Lighthouse. She said it is to give back to a business that has been very supportive of their efforts.

“We want to blow their business up.”

“I’m retired, so if it ain’t fun, I won’t do it,” Phillips said. “We’ve become fast friends. I didn’t know them before, but now we’re great friends. No one can do it alone…I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe in it or think it would be good.”

The first annual Manzanita Music Festival is from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday with two stages along Laneda Avenue. It is a free event with an area for kids’ activities. For more information, to donate or volunteer, contact Beth Carter-Boyer at manzanitamusicfestival@gmail.com.